Performance Today®

The 2014 Gilmore Artist Award goes to 28-year-old Polish pianist Rafal Blechacz.

The final section of Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5 has been a conductor's conundrum since it premiered in 1937. Do you play it fast and loud as a life-affirming statement for a downtrodden people, or do you play it slower to emphasize the irony of people rejoicing through tears? On Wednesday's Performance Today we'll hear this ambiguous piece performed by the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic.

On Tuesday's Performance Today, Valerie Coleman and the Imani Winds visit the PT studios and perform music evocative of Southern charm and comfort.

On Monday's Performance Today we'll hear violinist Leonidas Kavakos speak about and perform a rarely-played, intensely demanding piece; the Violin Concerto No. 2 by Polish composer Karol Szymanowski.

The fourth season of "Downton Abbey" begins on Sunday, and in anticipation we'll hear from Scottish composer John Lunn, who has written music for the series. And since "Downton Abbey" is set in early 20th century England, we'll also sample some early 20th century English music on this weekend's Performance Today.

The fourth season of "Downton Abbey" begins this weekend, so on Friday's Performance Today we'll hear from Scottish composer John Lunn, who has written music for the series. And since "Downton Abbey" is set in early 20th century England, we'll sample some early 20th century English music as well.

On Thursday's Performance Today we'll hear some of the most memorable concert moments ever recorded, including Vladimir Horowitz at Carnegie Hall in 1965, Leonard Bernstein celebrating the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and cellist Mstislav Rostropovich performing in the USSR in 1990.

On New Year's Day 1886, Franz Liszt wrote "this will be an unlucky year for me." How did he know? On Wednesday's Performance Today we'll have lots of celebratory music for the new year, and a story about a composer who made a New Year's prediction that turned out to be spot on.

At the annual New Year's concert in Vienna, the hall is even more resplendent than usual and the music is light and fun. Conductor Franz Welser-Most had the baton this year, which he says is tremendous fun despite being "the most stressful experience you can have in a conductor's life." He'll explain more on Tuesday's Performance Today, and we'll hear some New Year's concert highlights featuring Franz Welser-Most and the Vienna Philharmonic.